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Commentarii in Isaiam

EPITOME OF THE VARIOUS EXPOSITIONS COLLECTED ON THE PROPHET ISAIAH, BY PROCOPIUS OF GAZA, A CHRISTIAN SOPHIST.

A prophet is one who proclaims either the future, or present hidden things, as Paul says: "But if you prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninstructed person enters, the secrets of his heart are revealed." And Elisha: "Did not my heart," he says, "go with you, when the man turned from his chariot to meet you?" The prophet sees with the governing part of the soul, as if being formed in waking dreams; or as one might see a writing on a tablet of good, or of contrary things. It is not through an ecstasy of the mind, as some have said, with the human mind being veiled by the spirit—which, indeed, is unworthy of a divine visitation, to make God himself senseless and close to madness. For the Divine, in those in whom it dwells, is perfecting, not depriving of natural reasonings. For it is not likely that one who helps others with his word should be ignorant of himself, and have fallen away from the benefit of his words. And how can the spirit of wisdom fill one with ignorance? For light does not cause blindness; rather it calls the faculty of sight into action, as also the pure mind of God to spiritual vision. It is a characteristic of a wicked and solitary power to produce ecstasy with a view to plotting against those who receive it. And how could the Apostle, being wise, not follow what he would say? "For a wise man," he says, "will understand what comes from his own mouth, and on his lips he bears understanding." How then, "Isaac," it says, "was in ecstasy at the entrance of his son?" And the great David, "But I said in my ecstasy?" But it calls astonishment thus, as in, "The heaven was amazed, and the earth shuddered." There is also prophecy through dreams, by which Joseph in Egypt, and Daniel in Babylon foretell the future. And it is no wonder, if Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar have seen them. For concerning worldly conditions, it was necessary for the rulers to foresee, so that they might be believed. And Balaam, and Caiaphas also foresaw, having those who obeyed them; the one, as high priest, the other, as a seer. There is a dispensation here, therefore, not a pure mind being illuminated. Sometimes, therefore, the prophets clearly state what is being revealed, so as not to need any interpretation for them; as in, "What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord, I am full," and what follows. And sometimes through symbols; as in the dreams of Joseph and Pharaoh, who saw through ears of corn; the one, things concerning himself and his brothers; the other, the coming seasons; as also, "A vineyard was made for the beloved on a horn, in a fruitful place," and what follows. And Daniel saw the Kingdoms in the forms of worthless animals. And some things are also said in a composite way; some things being said literally, and some things according to their meaning; as that with the Savior: "Do you not say that there are yet four months, and then the harvest comes?" This is literal. But that according to its meaning is, "Lift up your eyes, and see the fields, that they are already white for harvest." Such also is that in Isaiah, "Because this people did not want the water of Siloam, that goes softly," and what follows. For in these things, both Siloam and the so-called strong river are spoken of tropically. But literally: "The people who wanted Rezin, who was king of Damascus, and the son of Remaliah, who reigned over Samaria." For holy Scripture, being for the benefit of all, both offers a ready meaning to the more simple, or even the more indolent, and grants to the more diligent an exercise for the mind through the things which have been hidden. And sometimes God thus arranges the whole human condition. For both the lack of necessities exercises the mind, as well as the circumstances and all coincidences. Such also is the obscurity of the Scriptures, so that by being occupied with these things, one may be drawn away from worse things. And

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Commentarii in Isaiam

ΠΡΟΚΟΠΙΟΥ ΓΑΖΑΙΟΥ ΧΡΙΣΤΙΑΝΟΥ ΣΟΦΙΣΤΟΥ ΕΠΙΤΟΜΗ ΤΩΝ ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΠΡΟΦΗΤΗΝ ΗΣΑΙΑΝ ΚΑΤΑΒΕΒΛΗΜΕΝΩΝ ∆ΙΑΦΟΡΩΝ ΕΞΗΓΗΣΕΩΝ.

Προφήτης ὁ προφάσκων ἢ τὸ μέλλον, ἢ τὰ παρόντα λανθάνοντα, ὡς ὁ Παῦλός φησιν· "Ἐὰν δὲ προφητεύητε, εἰσέλθῃ δέ τις ἄπιστος, ἢ ἰδιώτης, τὰ κρυπτὰ τῆς καρδίας αὐτοῦ φανερὰ γίνεται." Καὶ Ἐλισαῖος· "Οὐχὶ ἡ καρδία μου, φησὶν, ἐπορεύετο μετὰ σοῦ, ἡνίκα ἀνέστρεφεν ὁ ἀνὴρ μετὰ τοῦ ἅρματος αὐτοῦ εἰς συνάντησίν σοι;" Ὁρᾷ δὲ ὁ προφήτης τὸ ἡγεμονικὸν, ὡς ἐν ὀνείροις ὕπαρ τυπούμενος· ἢ ὡς ἄν τις ἴδοι γραφὴν ἐπὶ πίνακος ἀγαθῶν, ἢ τῶν ἐναντίων πραγμάτων. Οὐ κατὰ ἔκστασιν διανοίας, ὥς τινες ἔφασαν, τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου νοῦ καλυπτομένου παρὰ τοῦ πνεύματος, ὃ δὴ θείας ἐπιδημίας ἀνάξιον, ἔκφρονα ποιεῖν καὶ μανίας ἐγγὺς τὸν Θεὸν αὐτόν. Τελειωτικὸν γὰρ τὸ Θεῖον οἷς ἂν ἐγγένηται, ἀλλ' οὐ τῶν φυσικῶν ἀποστερητικὸν λογισμῶν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἰκὸς τὸν ὠφελοῦντα λόγον τοὺς ἄλλους, ἑαυτὸν ἀγνοεῖν, καὶ τῆς ἐκ τῶν λόγων ὠφελείας ἐκπεπτωκέναι. Πῶς δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς σοφίας ἄγνοιαν πληροῖ; φῶς γὰρ τύφλωσιν οὐ ποιεῖ· τὴν δὲ δύναμιν προκαλεῖται τὴν ὁρατικὴν εἰς ἐνέργειαν, ὡς καὶ Θεοῦ νοῦν καθαρὸν εἰς ἐποπτείαν πνευματικήν. Πονηρᾶς δὲ καὶ μόνης δυνάμεως, ἔκστασιν ἐμποιεῖν ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν δεξαμένων ἐπιβουλῇ. Πῶς δὲ σοφὸς ὢν ὁ Ἀπόστολος οὐκ ἔχει παρακολουθεῖν οἷς ἐρεῖ; "Σοφὸς γὰρ, φησὶν, νοήσει τὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἰδίου στόματος, ἐπὶ δὲ χειλέων φέρει ἐπιγνωμοσύνην." Πῶς οὖν, "Ἐξέστη Ἰσαὰκ, φησὶν, ἐπὶ τῇ εἰσόδῳ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ;" Καὶ ὁ μέγας ∆αβὶδ, "Ἐγὼ δὲ εἶπον ἐν τῇ ἐκστάσει 1820 μου;" Ἀλλὰ τὴν ἔκπληξιν οὕτω καλεῖ, ὡς τὸ, "Ἐξέστη ὁ οὐρανὸς, καὶ ἡ γῆ ἔφριξεν." Ἔστι καὶ δι' ὀνείρων προφητεία, δι' ὧν Ἰωσὴφ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, καὶ ∆ανιὴλ ἐν Βαβυλῶνι προαγορεύει τὰ μέλλοντα. Καὶ θαυμαστὸν οὐδὲν, εἰ Φαραὼ καὶ ὁ Ναβουχοδονόσορ ἑωράκασιν. Περὶ κοσμικῶν γὰρ καταστάσεων τοὺς κρατοῦντας προβλέπειν ἐχρῆν, ἵνα πιστεύωνται. Καὶ Βαλαὰμ δὲ, καὶ Καϊάφας προέβλεπον ἔχοντες τοὺς πειθομένους· ὁ μὲν, ὡς ἀρχιερεὺς, ὁ δὲ, ὡς μάντις. Οἰκονομία τοίνυν ἐνταῦθα, οὐ νοῦς καθαρὸς ἐλλαμπόμενος. Ποτὲ μὲν οὖν οἱ προφῆται σαφῶς λέγουσι τὰ δηλούμενα, ὡς μὴ προσδεῖσθαί τινος αὐτοῖς ἑρμηνείας· ὡς τὸ, "Τί μοι πλῆθος τῶν θυσιῶν ὑμῶν; λέγει Κύριος, πλήρης εἰμὶ," καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Ποτὲ δὲ διὰ συμβόλων· ὡς ἐπὶ τῶν ὀνείρων τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ καὶ τοῦ Φαραὼ, δι' ἀσταχύων ἰδόντων· τοῦ μὲν, τὰ καθ' ἑαυτὸν, καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφούς· τοῦ δὲ, τοὺς ἐπιόντας καιρούς· ὡς καὶ τὸ, "Ἀμπελὼν ἐγενήθη τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ ἐν κέρατι, ἐν τόπῳ πίονι," καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Καὶ ∆ανιὴλ δὲ τὰς Βασιλείας ἐν ἀχρείων ζώων ἴδεν μορφαῖς. Τινὰ δὲ καὶ συμπεπλεγμένως λέγεται· τῶν μὲν πρὸς λέξιν, τῶν δὲ πρὸς διάνοιαν εἰρημένων· ὡς τὸ παρὰ τῷ Σωτῆρι· "Οὐχ ὑμεῖς λέγετε ὅτι ἔτι τετράμηνός ἐστιν, καὶ ὁ θερισμὸς ἔρχεται;" Τοῦτο πρὸς λέξιν. Τὸ δὲ πρὸς διάνοιαν, "Ἐπάρεστε τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὑμῶν, καὶ ἴδετε τὰς χώρας, ὅτι λευκαί εἰσι πρὸς θερισμὸν ἤδη." Τοιοῦτον καὶ Ἡσαΐᾳ τὸ, "∆ιὰ τὸ μὴ βούλεσθαι τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον τὸ ὕδωρ τοῦ Σιλωὰμ, τὸ πορευόμενον ἡσυχῆ," καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Ἐν τούτοις γὰρ ὁ μὲν Σιλωὰμ, καὶ ὁ λεγόμενος ἰσχυρὸς ποταμὸς, τροπικῶς εἴρηνται. Πρὸς δὲ λέξιν· "Ὁ λαὸς ὁ βουλόμενος τὸν Ῥάασιν, ὃ ἦν βασιλεὺς ∆αμασκοῦ, καὶ τὸ υἱὸν Ῥωμελίου τῆς Σαμαρείας βασιλεύοντα. Ἡ γὰρ θεία Γραφὴ τῆς ἁπάντων ὠφελείας γινομένη, καὶ τοῖς ἁπλουστέροις, ἢ καὶ ῥᾳθυμοτέροις πρόχειρον προτείνει διάνοιαν, καὶ τοῖς σπουδαιοτέροις νοῦ γυμνασίαν διὰ τῶν ἐπικεκρυμμένων χαρίζεται. Καὶ πᾶσαν δὲ τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ἔσθ' ὅτε διακόσμησιν οὕτω διέπει Θεός. Ἥ τε γὰρ τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἔνδεια γυμνάζει τὸν νοῦν, αἵ τε δὴ περιστάσεις καὶ πᾶσαι συμπτώσεις. Τοιαύτη δὲ καὶ τῶν Γραφῶν ἡ ἀσάφεια, ἵνα τούτοις ἐνασχολούμενος τῶν χειρόνων ἀφέλκηται. Καὶ